Faith brings peace

TODAY'S READING: Romans 5:1-5
When I read this passage, I am amazed by God's love.
I amazed that a God that was, is, and always will be perfect was the One who took the first step. He didn't have to. We are the ones who sinned against Him. We are the ones who turned our back on our Creator. We deserve none of this.
But here we read of our God. The God that not only loved us in word, but in action. The God that was willing to put on flesh and become like one of us. The God that was willing to suffer pain and agony to bring us sinful, rebellious people peace with Him.
Is that crazy? YES!
So when we suffer is it difficult? Or course. But is it any more difficult than being the Creator of the universe and watching your creation murder your Son that you sent in love?
That is a fundamental reason why suffering builds faith. It makes us more like God and can cause us to see things more from His perspective.
And in the last verse of this passage, we see God doing something even more crazy. It was wild enough that God was willing to take the risk to become flesh and live among us. Imagine how uncomfortable it was for Jesus to walk in a sinful world among sinful people.
Now comes an even bigger step for God. He is willing to enter your body and mine when we become Christians. That's right, God Himself in the form of the Holy Spirit lives in a sinful body.
At least with Jesus, God could keep Himself pure. Now God is taking the risk of living in a body that does sin. God is willing to endure the pain He experiences every time we disobey. It is both encouraging and scary.
When you lied, the Holy Spirit had to be a part of it.
When you cheated, the Holy Spirit was there to go through it.
When you gossiped, the Holy Spirit had to listen.
When you lusted, the Holy Spirit was pained.
But the true purpose of the Holy Spirit is much more. God wants to fill us with His love. And so as we face problems and trials God knows that we are not alone. He has given us the Holy Spirit to live in us so we can have a Helper along the way.
Man, I love my God!
He created me.
He came to earth for me.
He climbed into my body so I could be filled with His love.
That makes we want to jump and shout no matter how bad life gets!
The next time life seems to get you down, remember that Christians have God living in them to help them. Sure, it isn't always easy, but when we learn to trust in God both now and for eternity, we will always find every experience bringing us a little closer to Him.

shine!
Jason